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Friday, July 31, 2015

Motive: Hunt and exploreEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 5Armor: 1Movement: LongModifications: Numenera Lore 6, Stealth 6Combat: Neuron beasts are usually solo hunters of great curiosity and intelligence.Tentacles: May inflict 1 damage that ignores armor to a target within immediate range. Additionally, the target is grappled.Psionics: May inflict 2 damage that ignores armor to a target within long rangeUse: A lone neuron beast witnesses the characters exploring the area and begins to follow them.Loot: A dead neuron beast yields 2 cyphers.

After quite a bit of soul searching, I changed how Patrons will work for me with Patreon. Instead of a per post donation, I went for a simple $ per Month system. If you feel like sharing a bit of coin with me per month, great! If not, I understand as money is always far harder to come by, than it is to spend.Everything on here will always be free.

• You can speak and read the Dragonborn and Common Tongue.• Roll twice on the Dragonborn Benefits table or once on the Dragonborn Benefits table and once on the Dragonborn Heritage table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Dragonborn Benefits

2d6 Roll Benefit

2 +1 Accuracy

3-4 Focus: Constitution (Stamina)

5 Focus: Strength (Intimidation)

6 Weapon Group: Heavy Blades*

7-8 +1 Willpower

9 Focus: Strength (Might)

10-11 Focus: Intelligence (Military Lore)

12 +1 Fighting

* If the class you choose provides this already, you can take the focus Fighting (Heavy Blades) instead.

Dragonborn Heritage

2d6 Roll Benefit

2 You learn the Arcane Awareness Spell and gain 12 Magic Points. Your Casting Roll is 3d6 + Perception + Smelling. If you choose the Mage class, you can take the focus Intelligence (Power Arcana) instead.

5 You learn the Shadow Dagger Spell (as a breath weapon) and gain 9 Magic Points. The Casting Roll is 3d6 + Constitution + Stamina. If you choose the Mage class, you can take the focus Intelligence (Shadow Arcana) instead.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Motive: HuntEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 5Armor: 3Movement: ShortModifications: Initiative action 7Combat: Brodkil demons hunt in packs.Bionics: May inflict 3 damage on two creatures in immediate range.Use: A pack of Brodkil have come through a new rift and are looking for their next meal.Loot: A dead brodkil yields 2 cypher.

• You can speak and read the Common Tongue.• Roll twice on the Tiefling Benefits table or once on the Tiefling Benefits table and once on the Tiefling Heritage table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Tiefling Benefits

2d6 Roll Benefit

2 +1 Communication

3-4 Focus: Communication (Bargaining)

5 Focus: Intelligence (Arcane Lore)

6 Weapon Group: Light Blades*

7-8 +1 Dexterity

9 Focus: Dexterity (Legerdemain)

10-11 Focus: Intelligence (Religious Lore)

12 +1 Willpower

* If the class you choose provides this already, you can take the focus Accuracy (Light Blades) instead.

7-8 You learn the Shadow's Embrace Spell and gain 4 Magic Points. You automatically succeed on the Casting Roll. If you choose the Mage class, you can take the focus Intelligence (Shadow Arcana) instead.

9 You have spikes on your body, when a creature hits you with a Brawling attack you deal 2 points of penetrating damage to them.

THE SWORD OF OMENSLevel: 10Form: The sword normally appears as a dagger (light bladed weapon) with the Eye of Thundera closed, that inflicts 4 points of damage. However, as an action it becomes a longsword (heavy bladed weapon) with the Eye of Thundera open, that inflicts 8 points of damage.

Thundercats, Ho!: The wielder may broadcast his location by projecting the Eye of Thundera into the sky as an action. All allies within long range who see the symbol immediately gain a recovery roll.

Blast: As a longsword, the wielder may make a medium ranged attack that inflicts 4 points of damage.

SasquatchAKA Bigfoot, Grass Man, Skunk Ape, YetiThese mysterious creatures have visit our world for millennia via interdimensional travel. They have found their way to numerous places scattered across the globe and inspired countless legends and campfire tales. Are they scouts, hunters, spies, or something far, far worse?

I'm importing the idea of Specialty Priests and channeling a bit of DnD 4E by treating them as Feats.

Specialty Priests of Tymora

Luckbringer Feat

Prerequisite: Cleric with Trickery Divine Domain• Whenever you make an ability check with a Gaming set, you are considered proficient with the Gaming set and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. • Once a day, you may automatically succeed on one saving throw that would avert an unfortunate or damaging effect. You must declare the use of this ability rather than roll the saving throw.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

RIDES DRAGON LINESYou know how to tap into the strange magnetic lines that criss cross the globe known as dragon lines or ley lines. You may use the dragon lines to harness and wield the power of magic.

Connection: Choose one of the following.

1. Pick one other PC. This character has been your friend for a long time, and you have learned to bring her along when you ride the dragon. If the character is standing right next to you, you can take her with you when you use Dragon Ride. (Normally, the ability does not allow you to transport other creatures.)

2. Pick two other PCs. You know about an important connection between them that even they don’t know about.

3. Pick one other PC. This character has interesting ideas about the occult and how it can be mastered. If you are trained in the occult, after you talk to this character for an hour, you gain an asset on any task involving identifying, researching, interacting, or using the occult.

4. Pick one other PC. He has the worst luck with magic items of anyone you’ve ever met. You want to help him, but you aren’t sure how or even whether he will be open to your assistance.

Additional Equipment: You have a bag of miscellaneous wards and charms (if appropriate to the setting).

Magic Abilities: If you use special abilities that would normally use force or other energy, they instead use eldritch energies. For example, a force blast is a howling blast of baleful green. This alteration changes nothing other than the appearance of the ability.

Minor Effect Suggestion: The target is dazed by enchantment magic for one round, during which time the difficulty of all tasks it performs is modified by one step to its detriment.

Major Effect Suggestion: Items filled with magical power explode. You can target and destroy an artifact that a foe is holding or wearing.

Tier 2: Dragon Rider (4 Intellect points). You can move a long distance from one location to another almost instantaneously. You must be able to see the new location, and there must be no intervening barriers. Action.Send Message (1 Intellect point). You may send a telepathic message a long distance to another creature along the same dragon line. Action.

Tier 3: Hoarde of the Dragon. You can drain the power from an artifact or device, allowing you to regain 1 Intellect point per level of the device. You regain points at the rate of 1 point per round and must give your full concentration to the process each round. The GM determines whether the device is fully drained (likely true of most handheld or smaller devices) or retains some power (likely true of large machines). Action to initiate; action each round to drain.

Tier 4: Dragon Speaker. You can learn two additional adept or magic flavor abilities of fourth tier or lower. Enabler.

Tier 5: Master Of The Dragon (5 Intellect points). You are trained in all adept and magic flavor abilities. As a result, you reduce the difficulty of any task involved in the use of an adept or magic flavor ability by two steps. Enabler.

Tier 6: One With The Dragon. Your Intellect Pool increases by 5, and your Intellect Edge increases by 1. Enabler.

Deep OneThe children of Dagon and Hydra have ruled the waves for uncounted millennia. Eventually, Dagon became aware of humanity and inspired both races to meet. From these revels, the hybrids were born. Most humans found the hybrids monstrous, however Dagon's children embraced them as royalty. And so the deep ones wait, quietly watching and subtlety shaping the lives of the land dwellers by inserting hybrid lords and ladies as agents of change.

Zodac is one of the last remaining members of the Council of the Wise, who fill the role of enforcing the cosmic balance. Zodac was the leader of the Council and decided to retain his human form after most of the members of the Council became the spirit of Greyskull. Their decision came in the wake of Skeletor stealing the Golden Discs from them by corrupting Zanthor, a Council member.Zodac vowed to sail the cosmos in his chair, keeping a watchful eye over Eternia, but not interfering in the natural course of events.

He is aware that Prince Adam is He-Man and even gave Skeletor the idea to go after the Starseed to test wether Prince Adam was worthy of the mantle of He-Man. Eventually, He-Man helped Zodac reform Zanthor, who joined him on his cosmic mission.

ZODAC 4 (12)

Motive: Enforce the cosmic balanceEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 12Damage Inflicted: 4Armor: 3Movement: Short or Long (Chair)Modifications: Numenera 6Combat: Zodac will intervene to enforce the cosmic balance.Cosmic Traveller: He has 1 random artifact

Use: Zodiac leaves a map to an ancient ruin for the characters to explore. He tests them with traps and predators to determine if they are worthy.

Over four years ago I started this blog as my entry into the Old School Renaissance of Dungeons and Dragons. By June of that same year I'd hit 100 posts and was pleased as punch. My foray into the OSR didn't last too long though, as I began to share sessions reports, create material for 13th Age, the Adventure Game Engine (which powers Dragon Age and Titansgrave), Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP), DnD 5th Edition, Pathfinder, Primeval Thule, Icons and the Cypher System (Numenera and the Strange).Its been a long, strange trip and this, my friends, is my 1000th post.I've managed somehow to get more than a few people on the wilderlands of the interwebs to give my musings a few moments out of their day. And I'm extremely grateful to everyone who has come and visited Cross Planes.I literally wouldn't want to do this without any of you.Here's to the next 1000!

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Motive: Raise hellEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 5Armor: 5Movement: LongModifications: Initiative 7, Feats of Strength 7, Might defense 7, Speed defense 7Combat: Juicers are blurs of mayhem and death.Deadly: They have 2 random cyphers.Use: A juicer has arrived at the town where the characters are staying looking for a doctor who can help him detoxify, but he is unreasonable and psychotic.Loot: A dead juicer yields 2 cyphers.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Motive: Serve DarkseidEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 6Damage Inflicted: 2Armor: 2Movement: Short or Long (glider-rocket)Modifications: NoneCombat: Parademons are most effective due to their large numbers and attack in groups of 6 or more and may have either of the following attacks.Heavy Blaster: Inflicts 6 damageClaws: Inflicts 4 damageUse: Parademons are guarding an ancient sanctuary from the 4th World that the characters discover on a moonless night.Loot: A dead parademon yields 1 cypher.

Health: 21Damage Inflicted: 7Armor: 3Movement: LongModifications: Perception 8Combat: Skull walkers reinforce scout teams, patrol borders, and act as scout in wilderness areas.Laser Turret: As an action they may attack up to three creatures with an attack that inflicts 4 damage.Smoke Dispenser: Once per combat, they may increase difficulty to see by one step.Use: A dead boy squad is missing and a skull walker is looking for them.Loot: A dead skull walker yields 1d6 cyphers.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

So, I got the Cypher System Rule Book PDF last night. Here is my first character for the Supers genre:FLASH MOB is an Intelligent Speaker (with combat flavor) Who Existes in Two Places at OnceMight: 12 Edge: 0Speed: 9 Edge: 0Intellect: 14 Edge: 1Effort: 1Armor: 2Cypher Use: 2Practiced:Light and Medium WeaponsTrained:Remembering Experiences, ScienceSpecialized:

Jon Martin Cooper Jr. is the oldest son of Jon Martin Cooper Sr. and Lena R. Cooper. His parents met while going to college at Texas State University in Texas. After graduating, they married and moved to San Diego, California with Jon Sr. taking a position at Future Perfect and Lena becoming an Art teacher at Sizemore Elementary.Jon Jr. or JJ's science and math scores were off the chart and after graduating high school at 15, he was offered a full scholarship from Future Perfect in exchange for a 3 year contract upon graduation.JJ, only 19 upon graduating with his PhD in Biochemistry and Biology, took a position on a team doing bleeding edge research at Future Perfect in Oakland, California to fulfill his contract. Unbeknownst to him and his colleagues, their team was exposed to a strain of Isotope X that Future Perfect had unearthed in Iraq during the First Gulf War.JJ achieved apotheosis later that week, when his apartment building caught fire. His fear created allowed to create a duplicate so he could help his neighbors escape the blaze unscathed.As the fire was being battled, JJ was approached by a man named Nathan who claimed that he worked for ECHELON on a project called The Kiln and that Future Perfect was responsible for exposing his team to Isotope X, as guinea pigs. He offered to help JJ and any of his coworkers.

Health: 3Damage Inflicted: 3Armor: 3Movement: Short or Long (Hover Bike)Modifications: Ranged Weapons 4Combat: Dead boys operate in squads of 5 to 10. 1 in 5 dead boys will be armed with a heavy ranged weapon. 1 in 10 dead boys will be an officer with 2 random cyphers or a psi-stalker who inflicts damage that ignores armor and has Nano Hunter 5 as a modification.

Use: The Coalition are performing maneuvers on their border and have sent out several recon units to test their latest ordinance.

So, I preordered my print copy of the Cypher System Rule Book at my local store, and I got my PDF from Monte Cook Games tonight (I'm about to start digging into it).A huge thanks to Tommie Webb Ryan and the whole team at MCG, they have always demonstrated incredible customer service when I have dealt with them.

The other cool thing? I believe Alliance Midwest will be shipping out the print copy of Worlds Numberless and Strange to arrive later today.I'll keep you posted.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Environment: AnywhereHealth: 12Damage Inflicted: 4Armor: 2Movement: ShortModifications: Use Magic 5Combat: Skeletor is a gifted swordsman, but his greatest talents lie in wielding magic.Havoc Staff: Every other round he may inflict 2 points of damage to every creature in immediate range.Magic Spells: He has 4 random cyphers

Use: Skeletor has come to the ruins of an 8th World castle, seeking artifacts and power. A castle the characters happen to be exploring.

Environment: AnywhereHealth: 12Damage Inflicted: 4Armor: 2Movement: ShortModifications: Large Ranged Weapons 5, Perception 5Combat: The blind warrior women who serve the Slugorth are slaves trained to work with the Minions who command baleful barges. Their only orders are to find more slaves and to destroy anyone who gets in their way.Net Gun: If entangled, their targets must beat a difficulty 5 to break free.Wrist Lasers: They inflict 2 points of damage that ignores armor.

Use: A barge is in the area and the warrior women have split up to bring in slaves from the area. Two of the women are approaching the characters' camp.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Motive: Protect the CoalitionEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 5 (Rail Gun)Armor: 3Movement: Long (Flying)Modifications: Pilot 6Combat: SAMAS power armor are used as hunter/killers.Wrist Missile Pod: Once per combat, they inflict 3 points of damage that ignores armor to their target and every creature within immediate range. Use: A recon mission brings a SAMAS within range of caravan the characters' are traveling with.Loot: A dead SAMAS power armor yields 2 cyphers.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

I've just begun really digging into Monte Cook Games' The Strange. Its concept, reminds me of a mix of pre-crisis DC Comics, Stargate (film and TV series), and TORG.

While Im waiting for the Cypher System Rule Book to see Supers in all of their glory, I've been looking at a set-up where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the main setting. However, its recursions are based off of other eras of Marvel TV and Movies. So you'd have Fox's X-men on another Earth, Both of Fox's FF films on separate worlds, then Blade on another world, Ghost Rider, the first Hulk film, etc. You'd even have an earth with the Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and Captain America TV outings from the 70's. Maybe even an earth that is the home of the first Captain America and unreleased FF film?

Its mostly brainstorming and I don't see much probability of it being played, but you never know.

Environment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 5Armor: 3Movement: Short (walking) or Long (flying)Modifications: Use Esotery 6Combat: Dragons are mystical creatures by their very nature with several abilities:Breath Weapon: As an action they inflict 2 damage to all creatures in short range.Magic Wards: As an action they gain Intellect defense 6.Premonitions: Initiative 6.Shapeshift: They may appear as any creature they are aware of that is level 4 or lower and have Imitation 4.Cyphers: They have 2 random cyphers.

Use: A dragon hatchling has found an ancient vault full of treasures. It has begun preying on local livestock and the nearby farmers have hired to character's to deal with it.

A few weeks ago, I worked a conversion of Monte Cook Games' Cypher System to Icons. I did it, because my two experiences running Numenera were--meh. This lead to some great discussions with +Michael Barry and +Joey Mullins and made me reread Numenera and the Strange.It also lead to a shot gun blast of creatures from Rifts converted to the Cypher System in the last few days. And He-Man.Well, tonight, half of my DnD group couldn't make it, so I whipped up three pregens and gave one of the adventures from the excellent Weird Discoveries a spin.I had a Charming Nano Who Commands Mental Powers.An Inquisitive Jack Who Carries a Qiver.And a Rugged Glaive Who Fights Dirty.We had a blast. They understood the system within a few minutes and we finished the adventure with gusto. They even talked about finding a way to insert it into our friday nights.I'm hoping a get more chances to do stuff with the Cypher System soon. However, I have two long term games I'm running and these days I'm less willing to throw a curve at my players. I guess I'll just have to be patient.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Motive: The huntEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 6Damage Inflicted: 2Armor: 2Movement: ShortModifications: Perception and Sense Nano at level 3Combat: Dog boys work in packs of 3 to 6, hunting nanos for their masters, the Coalition.Use: A pack of dog boys have cornered a nano in broke down transport that the characters happen to run across.Loot: A dead dog boy yields 1 cypher.

• You have advantage on attack rolls with this magic weapon and it deals 4d8 radiant damage.

• When you attack a creature whose size is large or smaller with this weapon and roll a 20 on the attack roll, you cut the creature in half and dies. A creature is immune to this effect if it has legendary actions. Such a creature instead takes an extra 4d8 radiant damage from the hit.

"Sword of Nuada, the king of the gods in Irish mythology; in legend, the sword glowed with the light of the sun and was irresistible in battle, having the power to cut his enemies in half."

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Environment: AnywhereHealth: 12Damage Inflicted: 3 pointsArmor: 2Movement: ShortModifications: Perception 4Combat: Ley Line Walkers can use ambient energy to power several abilities:Teleport: As an action they may instantly move a long distanceLey Ley Storm: As an action they may make an attack with a -1 difficulty against all creatures in immediate rangeDrain Intellect: As an action they may drain 3 Intellect and regain 3 Health from short rangeLey Line Jolt: As an action they may gain +1 armor for 1 minuteUse: A ley line walker has been drawn to the site of an ongoing archaeological dig, because for 7 nights each year the area is a ley line nexus point.Loot: A dead ley line walker yields 1d3 cyphers.

Motive: SurvivalEnvironment: AnywhereHealth: 15Damage Inflicted: 3 pointsArmor: 2Movement: ShortModifications: Intellect defense is level 7Combat: A mind melter is a powerful psychic and it's attacks require Intellect defense and ignore armor. As an action they can teleport up to a long distance away.Use: A mind melter has been accused of killing a local villager. Rumors say it was in self-defense, but the victim's wife has put together a party to hunt down and kill the mind melter. The characters must choose if they want to help the mind melter and here her side of the story, help the victim's wife and protect the mob, or remain neutral and discover the facts.Loot: A dead mind melter yields 1d6-1 cyphers.